Supporting sport is no ‘rort’

A Labor Senator has recently been rubbishing the Morrison Liberal National Government’s Community Sports Infrastructure Grant, describing it as a ‘rort’.

The grants program has benefited thousands of sporting men, women and children by providing much needed upgrades and repairs to aging and flood-damaged sporting facilities.

I would call on Labor Senator Murray Watt to head up to Mackay and Townsville and tell some of these sporting groups that they don’t deserve their Community Sports Infrastructure Grant.

Does Mr Watt seriously think Townsville Basketball was undeserving of their sporting grant of $497,000 after their facilities were wiped out by the Townsville floods early last year?

And should the Burdekin Council pay back their grant of $48,000 to provide safer access to their swimming pools for people with disabilities?

Does the Brisbane-based Senator begrudge the Slade Point Rugby Club $22,000 to improve their lights so they can play night games rather than battle the North Queensland heat during the day?

Do the 750 hockey players in Mackay not deserve their sound, safer new turf surface?

Regional communities in North Queensland deserve every cent they get to repair aging or flood-damaged fields and premises, provide more facilities for women and increase opportunities for night-time participation and I will go in to bat for these organisations every time.

Sporting groups who have received funding in the Dawson electorate over the past 12 to 18 months are as follows:

Round One

• Mackay Hockey – $500,000

• NQ (Townsville) Football – $362,000

Round Two

• Burdekin Council – $48,000

• Pioneer Tennis – $50,000

• Home Hill Tennis – $33,932

• Slade Point Rugby – $22,000

Round Three

• Townsville Basketball – $497,000

• Dolphins FC Club – $196,000

• Brothers Football (Mackay) – $490,000